>> Friday, June 18, 2010

Most of the region was dry yesterday and last night. However, there was a fairly narrow corridor near the NC/SC border area that saw a few isolated showers and storms, and it is in that same region where a few isolated storms could fire again today. Most spots, though, will again be dry, and highs will be in the upper 80s to near 90 with continued slightly lower humidity levels.

It will be getting a bit hotter and muggier over the weekend. Tomorrow will feature lowers 90s for highs, and highs by Father's Day will warm into the mid 90s in many spots. It will also be getting muggier, and due to that fact, a few isolated storms are possible anywhere across the region. However, the chance of rain in any one spot remains small.

Next week looks hot and muggy with lots of mid 90s for highs and the daily chance of at least a few PM storms. The heat might try to break just a but toward the end of the week.

Tropics....

We still have our tropical wave, which is bringing unsettled weather to the Lesser Antilles today. However, upper level winds remain hostile, and development is not likely.

>> Thursday, June 17, 2010

Some slightly drier air is settling into the region from the north today, and that will really squelch the rain chances for the mountains and piedmont. For the piedmont, look for highs in the lower 90s with lots of sunshine, and you will likely be able to notice a drop in the humidity levels today compared to recent days. The best chance of seeing a storm today will be from right along the NC coast into portions of South Carolina.

Friday's forecast looks mainly dry with highs close to 90 for the NC piedmont with highs in the upper 80s to near 90.

I will maintain the chance of a few storms Saturday with highs close to 90. Sunday looks a bit hotter with low to mid 90s for highs.

Some model disagreement comes into play next week in exactly where the center of an upper level ridge will set up. So, the confidence of timing out any increases in rain chances next week is pretty low at this point. Generally speaking, look for highs in the lower 90s and at least a limited chance of a few PM storms.

>> Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Our airmass has gotten even soupier today. Combine that with the approach of a weak cold front, and we have a recipe for numerous showers and storms for our Wednesday. We have already seen some showers and storms in the Piedmont through the pre-dawn hours today, and showers and storms will continue to be a possibility through the day into this evening.

Some of the storms could again be strong to severe today. Again, damaging winds and lightning are the biggest concerns. Highs today will be in the upper 80s to near 90.

That cold front I mentioned is the leading edge of some slightly drier air, and it appears that drier air will work into much of the Piedmont by tomorrow. In turn, that will greatly diminish the chance of showers and storms. While the rain chance tomorrow through Sunday is not zero, we are probably looking at an isolated coverage at best. Highs will be back into the 90s Thursday through Sunday as well.

Not a whole lot will change as we head into next work week. Highs will remain in the 90s with lows close to 70. Isolated PM storms will remain possible.

>> Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Had a good few days off over the past several days to step away from things for a bit and enjoy some down time. My family and I went down to Charleston, South Carolina and spent several days. Truly a beautiful city. Tons of sights to see, lots to do, and some great beaches. We really had a nice time.

Back in the saddle at the big 14 this morning, and our forecast today will be very similar to what we have seen the past few days. Hot and humid conditions with NC Piedmont highs in the low to mid 90s. Columbia, SC might very well hit 100 degrees for the third consecutive day.

Like we have seen over the past few days, we will likely have some scattered strong to severe storms fire later today. The storms will be prolific lightning producers, and again some damaging winds will be possible.

Tomorrow will likely feature a little greater coverage of showers and storms as a weakening cold front scoot just to the north of the region. Highs will be close to 90 in many Piedmont spots.

The seven day outlook is very summer-like with highs in the lower 90s, lows in the lower 70s, and at least some chance on a daily basis for some afternoon and evening storms.

Tropics...A little low pressure 1100 miles or so east of the Lesser Antilles has some chance of becoming a tropical depression...however, the upper level environment will become more hostile around the system tomorrow.